Toyota Etios 2014-2017 JD

Etios 2014-2017 JD Review

Toyota Motors is one of the well known car maker across the world and has quite a few vehicles in their fleet. Among them, Toyota Etios is one of their popular sedan, which is available in both petrol and diesel engine options. Currently, for increasing the number of sales in the car market, they have launched its facelifted version with some minor cosmetic changes. The exterior updates include a redesigned radiator grille with a prominent chrome plated logo and internally adjustable ORVMs with side turn indicator. In terms of interiors there are no major changes, apart from dual front airbags and driver seat belt reminder notification. This sedan is available in a few variants among which Toyota Etios JD is the entry level trim. It is powered by a 1.4-litre, D-4D diesel engine, which is capable to deliver an impressive performance. It is mated with a five speed manual transmission gear box, which helps in generating 67.1bhp along with 170Nm of peak torque output. This variant is equipped with a powerful braking and suspension mechanism that keeps it well balanced and agile on any road conditions. This sedan with compete against the likes of Chevrolet Sail, Tata Zest, Ford Classic, Tata Manza, Mahindra Verito, Fiat Linea Classic, Nissan Sunny, Maruti Ciaz and others in this segment. It is being offered with a standard warranty of three years or 100000 Kilometers, whichever is earlier. 

Exteriors:

The overall dimensions are quite standard and can accommodate five passengers with ease. It comes with a length, width and height of 4265mm, 1695mm (including external rear view mirrors) and 1510mm respectively. It has a large wheelbase of 2550mm along with a minimum ground clearance of 174mm, which is quite decent for this segment. The manufacturer has given it an aerodynamic body structure, which has a lot of striking features. Its frontage is designed with a sporty radiator grille that is painted in Matte black color. It is surrounded by a bright headlight cluster that is powered by halogen lamps and side turn indicator. The body colored bumper houses a large air dam that helps in cooling the engine. The large windshield is made of tinted glass and integrated with a set of intermittent wipers. Coming to its side profile, it has black colored door handles and outside rear view mirrors, which are electrically adjustable. The neatly carved wheel arches are fitted with a robust set of 15-inch steel wheels, which are covered with 185/60 R15 sized tubeless radial tyres. Its rear end has a curvy boot lid, which is embossed with variant badging and it is accompanied by a bright tail light cluster. The body colored bumper has a pair of reflectors and its windscreen is integrated with a high mounted stop lamp. At present, it is only available in White and Symphony Silver finish options to choose from.

Interiors:

The interiors of this Toyota Etios JD trim are quite spacious and are designed with dual tone (dark and light grey) color scheme. It is incorporated with comfortable seats, which are covered with fabric upholstery. These seats provide enough room for all passengers. Its smooth dashboard is equipped with a few features like an instrumental panel with a few functions, AC vents, a large glove box with cooling effect and a 3-spoke steering wheel. Its door trim also gets fabric inserts along with wood grain finish on door armrest. It is bestowed with a number of utility based aspects, which are seven bottle holders, front and rear door pockets, remote tail gate and fuel lid opener, sun visor for driver and front passenger, three coat hooks with assist grip and many other such aspects for the ease of its occupants. This variant has a 595 litre boot compartment, which can be increased by folding its rear seat. 

Engine and Performance:

This Toyota Etios JD variant is equipped with a 1.4-litre diesel power plant, which is integrated with four cylinders and eight valves. This single overhead camshaft based power plant is capable to displace 1364cc and can churn out 67.1bhp at 3800rpm along with 170Nm of torque between 1800 to 2400rpm. This engine is skilfully coupled with a five speed manual transmission gear box, which distributes the torque output to its front wheels. It is incorporated with a common rail based direct injection fuel supply system, which allows it to deliver 20.32 Kmpl within the city and 23.59 Kmpl on the highways. This motor has the ability to attain a maximum speed approximately 178 Kmph, which is rather good for this segment. At the same time, it can cross the speed barrier of 100 Kmph in close to 12.5 seconds from a standstill. 

Braking and Handling:

The company has used a McPherson strut for its front axle and torsion beam for the rear one. On the other hand, its front wheels are assembled with a set of ventilated disc brakes, while its rear wheels are fitted with conventional drum brakes. this braking mechanism is augmented by ABS along with EBD. It has an electric power steering system, which is tilt adjustable. This steering wheel supports a minimum turning radius of 4.9 meters. 

Comfort Features:

This variant is equipped with a number of standard aspects, which gives a comfortable driving experience. These features are a responsive power steering with tilt adjustable function, a glove box with cooling effect , front cabin lights, digital tripmeter, internally adjustable outside rear view mirrors, remote tailgate and many other such aspects. The efficient air conditioning unit comes with a heater and a clean air filter that purifies the cabin air.

Safety Features:

Being the base variant, this Toyota Etios JD trim is incorporated with some essential protective aspects only. It has a driver and passenger airbags, which enhances the safety in case of any collision. The advanced engine immobilizer safeguards the vehicle from any unauthorized entry. The company has also given it a full size spare wheel, which is affixed in the boot compartment with all other tools required for changing a flat tyre . It has seat belts for all passengers along with driver seat belt reminder notification on instrument panel. Apart from these, it is bestowed with a high mounted stop lamp, central locking system, remote keyless entry and a centrally located fuel tank. 

Pros:

1. Attractive exteriors with some striking features.

2. Decent fuel economy is a big plus point.

Cons:

1. Absence of music system is a disadvantage.

2. Many more features can be added.